Cory Olsen MLive.comTaylor Getzen, 19, fills out paperwork last summer to enroll in a new partnership between GRPS and GRCC to reengage dropouts 16 to 19 to return to school for a diploma and earn college credit.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - High school students who have left school or dropped out can register through September to participate in a Grand Rapids schools and Grand Rapids Community College program to earn a diploma and college credit.

Launched last year, the goal of the Turning Point Academy program is to continue to provide alternative pathways to high school completion and seamless transition into the post-secondary educational experiences in an environment that allow students to develop confidence, self-esteem, and academic and social skills.

Turning Point has capacity for 150 students. To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria: Age 16-19 (cannot turn 20 before first day of school); out of school for at least six months, up to two and a half years; 10th-grade status by credits; minimum eighth-grade reading level.

Interested students can pick up an application and information from the Turning Point Academy Office on the first floor of Sneden Hall on GRCC's campus, 415 Fulton St. SE, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call (616) 819-1045. A printable copy of the application can also be found at the “enroll today” link on the academy's website. Sneden is the program's new location.

Last year, the program resulted in six high school graduates, eight dual enrolled students (winter), seven summer scholarship recipients, nine dual enrolled students (fall), and three full-time GRCC enrollments.

GRPS is responsible for the tuition expense related to the students’ acquisition of up to six college credits while completing high school requirements.

According to state, the 2011 four-year cohort graduation rate for Grand Rapids Schools as 47.6 percent and the dropout rate was 19.9 percent. The cohort figure is calculated by tracking individual students from the time they were enrolled as first-time ninth-graders, with a four-year expected completion rate.

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